Blue Hills Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue Hills |
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| Location | Canton, MA |
| Nearest city | Boston |
| Coordinates | 42°12′55″N 71°07′09″W / 42.21528°N 71.11917°W |
| Vertical | 309 feet (94 m) |
| Skiable area | 60 acres (240,000 m2) |
| Runs | 8 |
| Longest run | Sonya |
| Website | www.bluehillsboston.com |
Blue Hills Ski Area is a fun place to ski and snowboard! It's located on the side of Great Blue Hill in Canton, Massachusetts. This area is part of the Blue Hills Reservation, which is a state park. The park is looked after by the DCR.
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Exploring Blue Hills Ski Area
Blue Hills has eight trails for skiing and snowboarding. The highest point is 309 feet (94 meters) above the base. To get to the top, you can ride a double chairlift. If you're just starting out, there are three magic carpet lifts in the beginner area.
What You'll Find There
The ski area has a main lodge where you can get food and use the restrooms. There's also a ski patrol station to help if anyone gets hurt. A small shop sells ski gear. In a separate building, you can rent skis or snowboards and store your things in lockers.
Blue Hills is a popular spot for high school ski teams. They often have races on a trail called Big Blue.
Trails for Every Skier
Blue Hills has trails for all skill levels.
- Beginner: 1 trail
- Intermediate: 2 trails
- Expert: 5 trails
A Look Back at Blue Hills
The Blue Hills Ski Area first opened in 1950. Before that, in 1949, the Metropolitan District Commission received money to build the ski area on Great Blue Hill. Over the years, many new things were added and improved.
Who Runs the Ski Area?
The land and many of the buildings at Blue Hills are owned by the state of Massachusetts. However, different companies have managed the ski area over the years. For example, in 2007, a company that also manages Campgaw Mountain in New Jersey started a 5-year lease to run Blue Hills.
Early Days of Skiing
In the early 1960s, the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) ran the ski area. Back then, there were only two lifts, both of them were "rope tows." A rope tow is a simple lift where you hold onto a moving rope to go up the hill. A lift ticket cost only 50 cents a day!
Around 1965, a company called Larchmont Engineering took over. They built the first chairlift and added snow-making machines. Larchmont was one of the first companies to make snow, and they tested different ways to make snow on the mountain.
Big Snow in 1969
In February 1969, Blue Hills got a lot of snow! Three big snowstorms hit, each about a week apart. There was so much snow that people could even ski down the "face" of Big Blue, which is the side facing Route 128.
Images for kids
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Blue Hills Ski Area logo
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Blue Hills Ski Slopes
